Abrading implement



Dec. 13, 1955 A. FIELD ABRADING IMPLEMENT Filed Oct. 4, 1952 lm/emf or ALBERT F/EZD is Atto ey United States Patent Ofiice 2,726,495 Patented Dec. 13,. .1955

ABRADING IMPLEMENT Albert Field, Dayton, Ohio Application. October 4, 1952, Serial No. 313,160

'7 Claims. (Cl. 51-493) I 'Ihisinvention relates to abrading implements, particu larly .as used in the finishing and polishing of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

An object of the invention is to provide an abrading implement having especial utility in the :finishing and polishing of flat, concave and convex surfaces, such implement being particularly adapted for'use with electric or pneumatic hand sanders and grinders, but being applicable also to pedestal grinding heads, bench grinders and drill :presses.

Another object of the invention is :toprovide an abrading implement of laminated construction.

A further object of the invention is to produce an abrading implement, the abrading surface of which is self-renewing in use.

Still another object of the invention is to produce an abrading implement which is .flexible for more ready conformation to the surface to which it is applied.

A still. further object of the invention is to accomplish with an abrading implement simultaneous sanding and butting of the surface, it. being contemplated .to utilize in asingle operation both the abrasive grains and the cloth which forms the backing or carrier for the abrasive material.

."Still another object of the invention is to provide an abrasive tool of unusually long useful life and having especial pplication to the polishing and cleaning of molds and dies.

Other obiects and structural details of the invention will appear from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. li's'a view in side elevation of an .abrading. im- 'plement according to a first embodiment of the invention, shown installed on a suitable mandrel;

Fig 2 is a view in cross section, taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of the-invention;

' Fig. 4 is .a view in cross section, taken substantially along the :line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '5 is aview similar to Fig. lshowing another form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1., showing still another tom: of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a disc element.

Referring to the drawings, the device of Figs. 1 and 2 includes the sander or abrading implement I0 and a mandrel 11 upon which the implement is mounted. The mandrel 11 has a head 12 on one end thereof, and, on the opposite end, a shank 13 adapted to be received in the chuck of a portable power tool or the like. Intermediate its ends the mandrel has a threaded portion 14 mounting a nut 15. The implement 10 is disposed between the head 12 and the nut 15, the latter being arranged to be rotated down upon the implement to seat it firmly upon the head 12. As indicated, the nut 15 may contact the implement 10 through one or more spacer elements 16.

The implement 10 is of laminated construction, being comprised of a :series of .discs 17 in aligned, superposed and intimately contacting relation. Considering the head .12 to represent the headof the tool, the series of .discs starts with a relatively small, given, diameter disc at the front thereof, and each succeeding disc -or series of discs is increased in diameter in predetermined fractional increments .until .the desired length and maximum diarneter of the implement are attained. The implement has, as a result of such construction, a .frusto-conical. shape, with the portion of smaller diameter at the front thereof.

As seen also in Fig. 7., each disc 17 is comprised of a flexible backing member 18made of a disintegrable cloth material. One side or face of the .member 18 is coated with a suitable abrasive'material 19. The discs are assembled with the coated sides or faces thereof facing outward or toward the small diameter .end of .the implement. A unitary relation is established between the discs by bonding them together under pressure, a cement being applied to the uncoated side of eachdisc prior :to assembly.

The implement is applied to the work with the axis thereof generally parallel to the work surface, the combination of rotary motion of the implement and a .forward movement of the tool resulting in theper-iphery of the implement exerting a cutting action on the Work.

To the extent that wear on the implement is exerted in a longitudinal direction, the abrasive surface is self renewing since the wearing away of one coated disc exposes another disc to its place. 'To the extent that wear on the implement .isexerted in a radial sense, the abrasive surface of the implement is continuously effective. Thus, the implement may through use be reduced in diameter, .but it may continue to be usedon fiat surfaces and in smaller openings, channels or the like.

.As before noted, another feature of the implement is the utilizing 'of both the abrasive grains which make up the coating 19 and the material of the cloth backing 18 in the finishing and polishing operation. Normally, in conventional types of disc sanders, only the abrasive material is utilized. After this is worn away the cloth .backings are discarded and replaced with new discs. Thus, according .to the instant conception, the disc assembly is constructed and used in such wise as to apply the disc perimeter'to the work, rather than the disc face. Accordingly, the disc is Worn away or disintegrates at its perimeter. The cloth backing and the abrasive grains engage the work simultaneously. The abrasive material provides the cutting effect. The cloth backing provides the 'buiiing effect.

If it is desirable to provide for a cutting. effect on the base end of the implement the bottom or largest diameter disc may be inversely arranged so that the coating 19 thereon faces to the rear.

Each disc 17 has .an axial opening 21, the several openings 21 being aligned with oneanother to define a through bore to receive the mandrel 11.

Since the discs 17 are inherently flexible, and since there is a progressive overlapping of the peripheries thereof, such discs are capable of limited fiexure adjacent to their peripheries. The surface of the implement accordingly will to a degree conform itself to curved work surfaces *to which it is applied. To provide more fiexi bility and conformance ability, the implement may be constructed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Here, abrasive discs 22, corresponding to the discs 17, are mounted on a mandrel 23, but interposed between each adjacent pair of discs is a spacer element 24. The elements 24 may be made of any material suitable to the purpose and capable of being bonded to the discs.

A further form of the invention is shown in Fig. 5, which shows an implement more particularly designed for use of the face thereof as distinguished from the periphery. In the construction of this device, a unitary, bonded series of discs 24 is used corresponding to the discs 17. According to the present arrangement, however, the disc of largest diameter is at the front of the unit. Succeeding discs, or series of discs, toward the rear of the unit, are progressively decreased in size. The amount of decrease and the number of discs used in the series is a function of the flexibility desired. It is contemplated, in the construction of Fig. 5 to produce a readily flexible unit. In the use of the implement, the largest diameter disc is used in the manner of a conventional single disc tool. Instead of the usual rubber or metal back-up pad, however, the instant disc unit provides a series of progressively smaller discs, of the same construction as the outer or front disc. The effective working surface of the implement thus is continuously renewed since the wearing away of one disc merely exposes the next succeeding disc for use. The arrangement, moreover, provides for application of the cloth backing to the work to achieve a combined sanding and bufling action.

The implement of Fig. 5 is made, like the devices of Figs. 1-4, with a center opening for mounting on a mandrel 26.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6 is thought to introduce a generally new principle in coated abrasive sanders in that the -construction of the device permits its use in various attitudes and angles. It is made of laminations of discs 27, constructed like the corresponding discs of the previously considered embodiments, and is adapted to be mounted on a mandrel 28. The assembly of discs in this instance presents one or a series of discs in the center of the unit of maximum diameter. From either side of the center discs extends a series of discs of gradually decreasing diameter, the arrangement being one that provides opposing longitudinal tapers on the periphery of the unit, extending from the center thereof. In assembling the unit, the two center discs are placed in inverse relation to one another, with the uncoated surfaces thereof facing one another. The series of discs on each side of the center then are arranged in correspondence with its respective center disc. In efiect two series of discs, each having their coated surfaces facing outwardly are brought in back to back opposing relation. Prior to assembly, cement is applied to each uncoated disc surface, and, after assembly, the several discs are bonded together under pressure.

It will be noted that a sanding implement of the kind disclosed in Fig. 6 can be worked forward, backward and from side to side, using in the main the periphery of the unit to perform the work. Typical operations of the implement are in the roughing and finishing of contours, channels, corners and flat surfaces of dies and molds. In

addition, both the cloth backing and the abrasive particles are used, as in the previously considered embodiments.

The drawings are partly diagrammatic since the individual discs are too thin to be adequately shown in all instances. Also, where only a single disc is shown at any given implement diameter, it will be understood that a series of discs may be used.

What is claimed is:

1. A laminated sanding and bufling implement, including an assembly of discs of different diameter, each comprising a flexible, disintegrable backing member capable of exerting a buffing action and a coating of abrasive material on one face only of said backing member, said discs being assembled in intimate contacting relation with the uncoated face of each disc bonded to the coated face of the next adjacent disc and said discs being arranged in progression according to the diameters thereof with the whole of the peripheral edge of each disc in overlapping relation to the next adjacent disc of smaller diameter.

2. A laminated abrading implement, including an as sembly of discs of different diameter, each comprising a flexible, cloth backing member and a coat of abrasive material on one face only of such member, said discs being united in an axially aligned superimposed relation and so disposed relatively to one another as to place said one face of said members in succeeding, series relation to one another and said discs being arranged in progression according to the diameters thereof with the whole of the peripheral edge of each disc in overlapping relation to the next adjacent disc of smaller diameter.

3. An abrading implement according to claim 2, char acterized in that adjacent discs are in intimate contacting relation and bonded together.

4. An abrading implement according to claim 2, characterized by spacer elements separating adjacent discs, said spacer elements being of less diameter than said discs.

5. An abrading implement, including a plurality of dif ferent diameter flexible sanding discs, each coated on one side with an abrasive material, the disc of largest diameter being at the front of the implement and disposed with its coated surface facing outward, and the remaining discs being similarly arranged in aligned superposed relation to the first and to one another in the descending order of their diameters, the several said discs being adhesively bonded together and the difference in diameter of adjacent discs being relatively large for greater flexibility of the implement.

6. An abrading implement, including a plurality of flexible sanding discs bonded together in intimate contacting superposed relation, each of said discs being coated on one side with an abrasive material, said implement being formed by bonding a pair of discs together with their coated sides facing in opposite directions and then superimposing on each of said pair of discs a series of discs facing in the same direction.

7. An abrading implement according to claim 6, characterized in that successive discs of each of said series of discs are progressively smaller in diameter than preceding discs to produce an implement which tapers downward from the center thereof toward each end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 334,671 Laughton Ian. 19, 1886 608,171 Birely Aug. 2, 1898 1,435,721 McIntosh et al Nov. 14, 1922 1,517,882 Wuelker Dec. 2, 1924 1,697,442 Webber Ian. 1, 1929 2,146,548 Mitschang et al. Feb. 7, 1939 2,358,724 Manchester Sept. 19, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 289,325 France May 29, 1899 

